Printed circuit board connector

Abstract

To simplify both the printed circuit board connector structure itself and the circuit board connecting work, the improved circuit board connector comprises a connector body and plural roughly U-shaped spring contacts elastically housed within the connector body. Circuit boards to be connected are engageable with the board connector in card edge connection manner or in bolt-nut connection manner. The above board connector is simple in structure and in connecting operation so as to be available for an automatic mass-production assembly process line.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printed circuit board connector for connecting at least two separate circuit boards, which comprises: (a) a connector body having: (1) a plurality of comb tooth shaped walls;   (2) a first contact stopper wall formed as a closed end wall of said connector body and a second contact stopper wall formed on one side and at an open end of said connector body;   (3) a first contact supporting wall formed on one side and near an intermediate portion of said connector body and a second contact supporting wall formed on the other side and near the intermediate portion of said connector body; and     (b) a plurality of roughly U-shaped spring contacts having each a base portion, a first arm portion with a first elastically bent contact portion near a free end thereof and a second arm portion with a second elastically bent contact portion near a free end thereof, said spring contacts being each housed within a space formed between two adjacent comb tooth shaped walls in such a way as to be loosely supported between said first and second contact stopper walls in the longitudinal non-elastic direction thereof with the base portion thereof in contact with the first contact stopper wall and with the second elastically bent contact portion in contact with the second contact stopper wall and as to be compressedly supported by said first and second contact supporting walls near the base portion thereof in lateral elastic direction thereof with the first arm portion in contact with the first contact supporting wall and with the second arm portion in contact with the second contact supporting wall, the first and second elastically bent contact portions being each brought into contact with contact surfaces of two separate circuit boards, independently, when the circuit boards are attached to the board connector, separately.   
     
     
       2. The printed circuit board connector as set forth in claim 1 including the combination of three or more circuit boards through said connector. 
     
     
       3. The printed circuit board connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said connector body is formed with at least one card edge connection portion for allowing at least one circuit board to be connectable to said board connector in card edge connection manner. 
     
     
       4. The printed circuit board connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said connector body is formed with at least one pair of bolt holes and at least one pair of locating pins for allowing at least one circuit board to be connectable to said board connector in bolt-nut connection manner. 
     
     
       5. The printed circuit board connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein a length of said plural roughly U-shaped spring contacts is adjusted to obtain a required contact pressure against the circuit board to be connected.